Shipping label template: free Word and PDF, plus the 6x4 alternative

Sending a parcel through a service that doesn't create a label for you, or dropping something off for a friend? A clear label with From and Deliver to is all you need. Here's a free template.

Download the Word template · PDF to fill in by hand

What's on it

Two labels per A4 sheet, each 210 x 148.5 mm (half a sheet):

• From: name or company, address, town and postcode;
• Deliver to: in larger type, with a phone number for the courier;
• tick boxes for Fragile, This way up and Keep dry.

Filling it in

In Word, click the line under each heading and type: the line stays under your text. To tick a box, replace ☐ with ☒. Don't add empty lines at the end of the page, as the label height is fixed to fit the sheet.

Printing

Print on an A4 sheet with 2 labels so each half is a sticky label, or on plain paper and tape it flat to the parcel. Print at actual size, after a test on plain paper. Stick the label on the largest side, and don't put tape over a barcode if there is one.

Already have a courier label?

If you buy postage online from a courier or marketplace, they give you a ready-made label with a barcode, usually as a 6x4 inch PDF. Print that instead; our template is for parcels without one. If you're not sure what 6x4 means in millimetres, see 4x6 labels in mm.

When to switch to a thermal printer

Sending several parcels a week? A 4-inch thermal printer prints the courier's 6x4 label straight onto a sticky 100 x 150 mm label: no ink, no scissors, no tape. More options, from QR codes to home printing, are in where can I print a shipping label?. Labels are on our shipping labels page.